The present invention relates to a holder for shaped beverage containers.
More particularly, it relates to a holder for holding such shaped beverage containers which have a reduced diameter or a waist above the base. Such holders for beverage containers are intended to be used for installation in a motor vehicle.
Beverage container holders for installation in motor vehicles are known per se. They have an insertion opening for insertion of a beverage container, for example a cup, mug or a beverage can. For adaptation to different diameters of beverage containers, it is known to provide a diameter-compensating flap that is pivotable in the insertion opening. The flap is biased by a spring element and is pivoted by it into the installation opening. When a beverage container is inserted into the insertion opening, the diameter-compensating flap is pressed outwards by the beverage holder against the force of the spring element. The diameter-compensating flap lies under spring bias against the beverage container placed in the insertion opening, in order to support the beverage container and safeguard it against tilting.
The known diameter-compensating flap are suitable for substantially cylindrical or tapering beverage containers, such as cups, mugs or drinks as mentioned above. If a shaped bottle which has a reduced diameter or a waist above the base, is placed in such a beverage container holder, the problem arises that either the diameter-compensating flap is spaced from the waist part of the bottle and consequently does not hold the inserted bottle secure against tilting, or the shaped bottle can be lifted out of the insertion opening because of the diameter-compensating flap does not yield outwards when an attempt is made to lift the bottle out of the insertion opening.
When the bottle is inserted in the insertion opening, the reduction in diameter is located approximately at the level of the diameter-compensating flap. The waist section is normally concavely curved, and between the waist section and the bottle base the diameter of the bottle is larger than in the region of the waist section, normally by virtue of a convex form in that region. Apart from the shaped bottles, other beverage containers that have a waste in the above-described sense are also a possibility of course.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a holder for a beverage container of the above described type, such that a shaped bottle with a reduced diameter above its base or a waist can be held reliably against tilting and can be removed from the beverage container holder without difficulty.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a beverage container holder for a shaped bottle, having an insertion opening for insertion of the bottle, a pivotable diameter-compensating element which is pivotable into the insertion opening, and a spring element that pivots the diameter-compensating element into the insertion opening, wherein in accordance with the present invention the diameter-compensating element is pivotable downwardly and upwardly.
Downwardly shall be understood to be in the insertion direction of the bottle and upwardly shall be understood to mean in the direction of lifting of the bottle out of the beverage container holder. Upwardly and downwardly refer in particular to an intended installation position of the beverage container holder. When a shaped bottle is placed in the beverage container holder in accordance with the present invention, the bottle presses the diameter-compensating element downwards against the force of the spring element and at the same time outwards. Once the bottle has been inserted, the spring element pivots the diameter-compensating element which is arranged at the level of the waist section of the bottle inwards, with the result that the bottle is held secure against tilting in the insertion opening of the beverage container holder.
As the bottle is lifted out, due to its increasing diameter from the waist point downwards to the bottle base, it moves the diameter-compensating element upwards against the force of the spring element and at the same time outwards. Because of the pivotability of the diameter-compensating element, a shaped bottle with the waist can easily be lifted out upwards from the beverage container holder according to the invention. In particular the shaped bottle placed in the beverage container holder, as it is lifted out, is not held by the diameter-compensating element at an area of relatively large diameter between the waist and the bottle base.
The beverage container holder according to the prevent invention preferably has several diameter-compensating elements that are arranged uniformly or non-uniformly distributed around the circumference. In one embodiment of the invention, and a spring element acts on several or all diameter-compensating elements. For example, a spring can be secured at its middle between two diameter-compensating elements, and pivots them both in the insertion opening of the beverage container holder.
Alternatively, a spring element can be of a ring-shaped construction and act on all diameter-compensating elements. The spring element can be, for example, a ring-shaped wire surrounding the diameter-compensating elements, or a ring-shaped leaf spring. In both cases, the spring element forms an open ring which is not necessarily circular.
The spring element can also be a resilient and closed ring, for example a rubber ring. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a spring element is provided for each diameter-compensating element.